The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is less expensive and offers longer battery life, but it's not as light and portable. It's suitable for general use, gaming, and engineering, with a gaming look and a high refresh screen. The MSI Pulse GL66 costs more yet it has a strong performance for 3D tasks, machine learning, and engineering uses, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics. However, the GL66 has a shorter battery life and might not be as suitable for extensive gaming sessions away from a power source. Both have similar storage and memory capabilities, but decisions should be made based on budget, performance needs, and battery life preferences. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
Good overall display quality
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 likely has a high-resolution display with a panel type that offers vibrant colors and brightness suitable for daily tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate limits its appeal for gamers and 3D designers who crave smoother visuals. The MSI Pulse GL66, while offering fair image quality, might not stand out in any particular aspect, providing a balanced experience for general use and engineering without excelling in color accuracy for professional design tasks. Both laptops appear less suitable for gaming and 3D, potentially due to lower refresh rates which can't deliver the fluid motion that these applications typically require.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Cost
$789
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $789 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16, with a robust AMD Ryzen CPU and larger battery, delivers solid performance and longer battery life, which is essential for general use, and features a high-quality screen and adequate portability. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, powered by an Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, leans more towards gaming but offers a very good keyboard and superior speaker quality, although with a shorter battery life, which could be less convenient for on-the-go usage.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
7.2/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16, with its AMD RX 7600S GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, is well-suited for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 also delivers a strong gaming and 3D performance with its Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a slightly lower refresh rate of 144 Hz.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
7.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 or the MSI Pulse GL66
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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